down here, but I fancy he’ll take her up to his suite. Ah! yes, I thought so.”
From their post of vantage, Tommy saw the Russian and Tuppence cross the hall and enter the lift.
The minutes passed and Tommy began to fidget.
“Do you think, sir. I mean, alone in that suite—”
“One of my men’s inside—behind the sofa. Don’t worry, man.”
A waiter crossed the hall and came up to Mr. Carter.
“Got the signal they were coming up, sir—but they haven’t come. Is it all right?”
“What?” Mr. Carter spun around. “I saw them go into the lift myself. Just”—he glanced up at the clock—“four and a half minutes ago. And they haven’t shown up. …”
He hurried across to the lift which had just that minute come down again, and spoke to the uniformed attendant.
“You took up a gentleman with a fair beard and a young lady a few minutes ago to the second floor.”
“Not the second floor. Third floor the gentleman asked for.”
“Oh!” The Chief jumped in, motioning Tommy to accompany him. “Take us up to the third floor, please.”
“I don’t understand this,” he murmured in a low voice. “But keep calm. Every exit from the Hotel is watched, and I’ve got a man on the third floor as well—on every floor, in fact. I was taking no chances.”
The lift door opened on the third floor and they sprang out, hurrying